Garde Manger: A review

On Saturday, September 29, 2012, I went to experience the culinary experience known as Garde Manger.

Garde Manger is a restaurant in Old Montreal, which was opened by Chuck Hugues, a chef who has a show on TV.  This restaurant is very well known and takes reservations a month in advance and when you call and leave a message, they only call you back if they have room.  This restaurant features a constantly changing menu as it changes with the seasons and the types of ingredients that the chef can get their hands on.  Its specialties are seafood and Quebecois cuisine with a flair.  Items that are well known are the lobster poutine, the jerk crab leg and the risotto.  (Usually lobster)

I don't really know what the appeal is with this restaurant.  The food is good, but I find it ordinary.  I find it too salty and overpriced.  My friends started off with fresh oysters and fresh scallops (They were already eating them when I got there - and I didn't have any) and they started off with cocktails.  I didn't have any seafood.  I didn't start off with a cocktail.  We split a large lobster poutine as an appetizer for three as well as the jerk crab legs.  We each ordered a main dish.  We each ordered a dessert.  My friends knew that I am not working a lot, so they offered to fork out the wine.  However, when the waitress came with our bill, she just came with one bill.  $130 later...  (Which was a bit of a rip off for me as I didn't have any fresh seafood appetizers or cocktails - and it was only at the urging of my friends that I had wine, or else I would have gone without the wine)

They also charged us for sparkling water!!!  What the heck was that?  I don't recall seeing an sparkling water at the table...  Maybe the first bottle that they brought us, but seriously...  Sparkling water?  I think I will just have my Frappé Saint-Laurent please.  (Regular Montreal tap water)

So, I don't get why this restaurant is so appealing.  I would have much preferred to split $130 over a few meals...  Or just paid for my portion of the food ($70 - $75) which would have been the amount I would have spent at The Keg.  However, I would have probably enjoyed myself a lot more at The Keg.

Not impressed by the hype of this restaurant.  Not sure I will be heading back.  At this point in the game, only if I am dating Chuck Hughes.